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Most of us will suffer from a 'fracture', (1) is the medical term for a broken bone, at some point in our lives.
A patient (2) arm, let's say, is suspected of being broken will first be given an X-ray. (3)
determined the extent of the fracture, the orthopaedic surgeon will decide on the most effective treatment. For a fracture (4)
manipulation is required, (5) may involve the patient being given a general anaesthetic while
the bone is essentially re-broken. Patients (6) have more serious fractures may require 'fracture fixation', (7)
which pins and rods are connected to the bone to strengthen it. (8) , for simple fractures, a
cast - often (9) out of plaster of Paris or fibreglass - is all that is required.
(10) a broken upper leg can take anything up to twelve weeks to heal, a broken toe can heal in just three
weeks.
Their plaster cast (11) off, the patient will almost certainly require physiotherapy to exercise a limb
(12) has been inactive for several weeks.
(13) advances in medical technology, (14) get a frail elderly person's fracture to heal is still
remarkably difficult. Even (15) the fracture has been treated in the right way, it is quite possible that the
bone will never fully heal.
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